Education |
‘Around the World in 80 Days’ — THE VICTORIANS: AN OVERVIEWThe period of 1837-1901 is known primarily as the Victorian age. It was so named after Queen Victoria, Queen of England and Ireland, and Empress of India (1819-1901). For Britain and Europe, the second half of the nineteenth century was a golden age of advancement and prosperity. Electricity and other new forms of energy accelerated man's technological capabilities to produce more goods and raise living standards. Transportation and communication networks expanded across continents and oceans and telescoped time-distance relationships and Europe became the workshop for much of the world. At the same time, the earlier fear of class warfare waned as governments showed increasing solicitude for their people’s economic and social needs. Illiteracy was being reduced by the spread of public school systems. The franchise (right to vote) was being broadened; parliamentary government and mass suffrage were crowding out aristocratic plutocracy; political liberty was on the march. This period was also distinguished by unprecedented scientific advancement. In addition to the work of Charles Darwin and his associates in biology, fundamental discoveries were made in physics, such as in thermodynamics and electrodynamics, in chemistry with the arrangement of the periodic table, and in medicine with the development of the germ theory of disease. A new model of celestial mechanics was provided by Einstein, while Freud delved into hitherto little-understood levels of human consciousness. In literature, painting, and sculpture, the impact of scientific and technological achievements took the form of realism, later extended into a facts-of-life school known as naturalism. At the same time, an increasing number of writers protested against injustices perpetrated in a society where cutthroat competition was defended and human exploitation excused as immutable elements in the struggle to survive. Still other artists, reacting against the baldly mechanistic view of man, devised new movements in the arts - expressionism and symbolism - each with special techniques for representing the subjective feelings of the individual. (T. Walter Wallbank, et al., "Civilization Past & Present") Basic Victorian Etiquette For the Gentleman: In riding horseback or walking along the street, the lady always has the wall. Meeting a lady in the street or in the park whom you know only slightly, you wait for her acknowledging bow - then and only then may you tip your hat to her, which is done using the hand farthest away from her to raise the hat. You do not speak to her - or to any other lady - unless she speaks to you first. If you meet a lady who is a good friend and who signifies that she wishes to talk to you, you turn and walk with her if you wish to converse. It is not "done" to make a lady stand talking in a street. In going up a flight of stairs, you precede the lady; in going down, you follow. In a carriage, a gentleman takes the seat facing backward. If he is alone in a carriage with a lady, he does not sit next to her unless he is her husband, brother, father, or son. He alights from the carriage first so he may hand her down. He takes care not to step on her dress. At a public exhibition or concert, if accompanied by a lady, he goes in first in order to find her a seat. If he enters such an exhibition alone and there are ladies or older gentlemen present, he removes his hat. A gentleman is always introduced to a lady - never the other way around. It is presumed to be an honor for the gentleman to meet her. Likewise, a social inferior is always introduced to a superior - and only with the latter's acquiescence. A gentleman never smokes in the presence of ladies. For the Lady: If unmarried and under thirty, she is never to be in the company of a man without a chaperone. Except for a walk to church or a park in the early morning, she may not walk alone but should always be accompanied by another lady, a man, or a servant. Under no circumstances may a lady call on a gentleman alone unless she is consulting that gentleman on a professional or business matter. A lady does not wear pearls or diamonds in the morning. A lady never dances more than three dances with the same partner. A lady should never "cut" someone, that is to say, fail to acknowledge their presence after encountering them socially, unless it is absolutely necessary. Upon the approach of [an] offender, a simple stare of silent iciness should suffice. Victorian Income and Samples Prices of Goods and Services 1 penny = approximately $1 today Typical Annual Incomes in the Victorian Era Wealthiest Aristocrats – 30,000 Pounds The following staples were included in a cotton spinner's budget in 1844. It was for a family of 4. The man’s income was 14 shillings per week (36 pounds/8 shillings per year): 1 pound butter = 1 shilling, 3 pence The Definition of an English Gentleman Although AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS was written in French, the action is set in England, and the hero, Phileas Fogg, is an English gentleman. The following quote is from an 1865 book entitled The Idea of a University, by John Henry Newman. It can be found in the book, Daily Life in Victorian England. "Hence it is that it is almost a definition of a gentleman to say he is one who never inflicts pain.... He has eyes on all his company; he is tender towards the bashful, gentle towards the distant, and merciful towards the absurd; he can recollect to whom he is speaking, he guards against unseasonable allusions, or topics which may irritate; he is seldom prominent in conversation, and never wearisome. He makes light of favours while he does them, and seems to be receiving when he is conferring. He never speaks of himself by a mere retort, he has no ears for slander or gossip.... He is never mean or little in his disputes, never takes unfair advantage, never mistakes personalities or sharp sayings for arguments, or insinuates evil which he dare not say out. From a long-sighted prudence, he observes the enemy as if he were one day to be our friend. He has too much good sense to be affronted at insults, he is too well employed to remember injuries, and too indolent to bear malice. He is patient, forbearing, and resigned, on philosophical principles; he submits to pain, because it is inevitable, to bereavement, because it is irreparable, and to death, because it is his destiny." |